Stabilizers for oils



Patented Feb. l3, 1945 STABILIZERS FOR OILS Wayne A. Proell, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Standan! Oil Company, Indiana Chicago, 11]., a corporation of- No Drawing. Application June 16, 1941,

Serial No. 398,238

17 Claims.

The present invention relates to hydrocarbon oils such as petroleum oils whichmay be used as fuel or furnace oils or as lubricating oils. Fuel oils are generally prepared by cracking certain fractions of hydrocarbon oils with the result that certain amounts of suspended carbon, asphaltic and resinous matter, and sulfur are contained in the final product. Some fuel oils, on the other hand, consist of blends of comparatively light petroleum oil fractions and tarry fractions, the latter also containing some solid particles. Lubricating oils when used, for instance, in internal combustion or other types of engines tend to deposit a film of so-called varnish on surfaces in the engine.

In the case of fuel oils the solid matter presents serious problems since it tends to settle out in storag tanks and consequently'clog outlet pipes. Also the solid matter collects at the nozzles of burners and eventually clogs the nozzles. In addition, small amounts of water with which fuel oil may become contaminated in the course of handling and storage, settle out and cause irregular burning of the oil.

A fuel oil which gives a deposit of 1.0% or more is considered unstable while a deposit of less than 1.0% is considered stable. This is, of course, a

somewhat arbitrary classification but does correspond generally with the amount of deposit beroad which serious difllculties are encountered.

Various ways have been suggested for overcoming these disadvantages, one of which is the addition of an emulsion breaker to cause the dealso by causing-a dispersion of a deposit which has already settled out. This latter featureis, of course, highly desirable since the stabilizing compounds may be merely added without-agitation to oils which have been standing for some time and have already aecumulateda deposit.

It is customary in some types of furnaces to .heat the fuel oil before it is ignited. This is ,ilnally adheres to variousmetal surfaces causing a fvarnish" film and other deposits in the engine.

The stabilizers according to the present invention prevent this adherence to the metal surfaces and keep the engine clean.

. Although I have described the eflect of the stabilizers with reference to fuel oils and lubricating oils, it will be clear that the dispersion of solid particles and water by the use of my stabilizing compound will be effective in other oils as well.

It is an object of the present invention to stabilize petroleum oils by dispersing any solid matter contained therein or subsequently formed therein or contaminated therewith, by the addition of small amounts of stabilizing agents.

A further object is to prevent varnish deposits on metal surfaces caused by deterioration of lubricating 011.

Another object of my invention is to prevent bottom 'settlings in fuel oils which may cause serious trouble in the operation of fuel oil furnaces.

Still another object is to provide fuel oils which will not clog feed lines, nozzles of burners and the like and will not leave deposits in preheaters.

According to my invention certain oil-soluble metal soaps together with certain organic proorganic promoter may beone or more alkylamines, arylamines, as well as soaps of organic amines such as diphenylamine, diphenylamine oleate, ethylene diamine oleate, triamylamine oleate, diphenylamine naphthenate or the like. The metallic soap may comprise 10% to o'f the addition mixture although equal amounts of the metallic soap and organic promoter are preferred.

The metallic soap is the active agent in the stabilizer, and the function of the promoter is to enhance the stabilizing action and to render the stabilizing action of the soap permanent. The addition of about 0.05% to about 0.5% of the above stabilizers decreases the sediment to an amount corresponding to a highly stable fuel oil, and thus will change an unsalable oil into a satisfactory oil. Obviously, this small amount of groups are attached directly to the amino nitrogen.

When preheater" deposit is of especial consideration, I have found that the addition of a small amount of beta naphthol or the like together with the metal soap and organic promoter greatly reduces such deposit. I

Although anyone of the aforementioned metal soaps may be used with advantage, I have found that'iron and aluminum naphthenate give the best results. it has also been found that diphenylamine oleate and ethylene diamine oleate are very satisfactory as promoters. It is to be noted that more than one of the promoters may be used at the same time if desired.

In Table i, which follows, four examples of stabilizing agents are given, each of. which has given excellent results as can be seen from Tables if, m and IV. Table II shows the effect that Examples 1 and 2 have on freshly prepared fuel oil in preventing sediment. Table III, on the other hand, shows the dispersion effect of Example 3 on a fuel oil which has already accumulated a sediment. Table V shows how Examples i and 4 reduce preheater deposit.

rams iii Example 3 Quantity added per cent 2 Days standing Sediment content Table ll! Example 1 Example 4. Control Quantity added. .per cent.. I 0.5 v 0. 1. 0 n

Preheater deposih. grams. 0. 218 0.173 0.687

"Although the-foregoing description has referred.- to several specific embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the present-invention is not limited there y but i QASQQAQO the oil and a. small amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkylamines, arylamines and soaps of organic amines, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

2. A fuel oilcomposition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form a sedimerit, an oil-soluble metal soap in an amount insuflicient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil and a small amount of at least one com pound selected from the group consisting of allrylamines, arylamines and soaps thereof, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

3. A fuel oil composition containing a. large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil'characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, an oil-soluble metal soap in an amount insufiicient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil and a small amount of at least one allphatic amine oleate, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

4. A fuel oil composition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, an oil-soluble metal soap in an amount insufllcient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil and a small amount of at least one aromatic amine soap, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced. 7

5; A fuel oil composition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form a, sediment,

an oil-soluble metal soap of a fatty material, the

metal being selected from the group consisting of iron, aluminum, chromium and nickel, the amount of said metal soap being insufllcient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and a small amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of diphenylamine, di-

phenylamine oleatc, and ethylene diamine oleate,

whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

6. A fuel oil composition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil character.

istics' and normally tending to form a sediment,

a metal naphthenate in an amount insufficient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and

a small amount of an organic amine soap, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

7.. A fuel oil composition as claimed in claim 6 and further containing a small amount of beta naphthol.

8. A fuel oil composition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel 011 characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, an iron naphthenate in an amount insufllcient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and a small amount of an organic amine soap, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

9. A fuel oil composition containing a large amount of a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, an aluminum naphthenate in an amount insufllcient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and a small amount of an organic amine soap.

whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced.

10. A fuel oil composition containing a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, an oil soluble metal soap in an amount insuflicient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and a small amount of diphenylamine oleate, whereby the formation of sediment is greatly reduced. '0

11. A fuel oil composition as claimed in claim 10 wherein the composition contains from about 0.01% to about 0.1% of the metal soap and from about 0.01% to about 0.1% of diphenylamine oleate.

12. A compound for reducing the formation of sediment in mineral oils having fuel oil characteristics and normally tending to form such a sediment consisting oi from about 10% to about 90% of an oil-soluble metal soap and the balance a promoter selected from the group consisting of dipheny1amine,- diphenylamine oleate, and ethylene diamine oleate.

13. A stabilized fuel oil containing a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and a small amount of a stabilizer consisting of about 50% iron naphthenate and about 50% diphenylamine oleate.

14. A stabilized fuel oil containing a mineral oil having fuel oil characteristics and a small amount of a stabilizer consisting of about 50% aluminum naphthenate and about 50% ethylene diamine 16. A fuel oil composition containing a large,

amount of a mineral oil having fuel 011 characteristics and normally tending to form a sediment, anoil-soluble metal soap in an amount insufiicient to cause any substantial thickening of the oil, and a small amount of the reaction product of at least one aromatic amine with a fatty acid.

17. A method of reducing the formation of sediment in a fuel oil normally tending to form such a sediment comprising incorporatingtherewith an oil-soluble metal soap in an amount insuficient to cause any substantial'thickening of the oil anda small amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of alkylamines, arylamines and soaps of organic amines.

WAYNE A. PROEIL. 

